June Foray’s untiring devotion to the art of animation as an actor, writer, volunteer, hostess, and spokesperson earned her the title of “First Lady of Animation.” Although she also performed in live action films and radio, she is best known for her voice work in animated films, TV series and video games. Her most famous characters include Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, Nell Fenwick, Granny, Witch Hazel, Jokey Smurf, Lucifer, Magica de Spell and Cindyu Lou Who.

Born June Lucille Forer in Springfield, MA, on September 18, 1917, June began working in radio at age 12 and was appearing regularly on the air by the time she was 15. After moving to Los Angeles with her family two years later, she wrote and starred in the radio show Lady Make Believe. From the late 30’s through the early 50’s, she appeared on national radio programs, including Lux Radio Theater, The Jimmy Durante Show, The Life of Riley, Our Miss Brooks, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, and The Stan Freberg Show.

In 1943, she did her first voice for animation for Walter Lantz in the Universal OswaldRabbit short The Egg Cracker Suite. She continued performing as a voice actor for animated films and TV series for the next seven decades working for Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Rankin-Bass and Chuck Jones. Many of her most famous roles were done for Jay Ward’s TV programs, beginning in 1959 with The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. (Although she sometimes appeared on camera, Foray said she preferred voice acting as it didn’t involve make-up, costumes and on-set delays and problems.) She worked with Stan Freberg on numerous commercials and comedy albums. She also provided the voice for Mattel’s "Chatty Cathy" doll—and did "Talky Tina," a malevolent take-off of the character in the "Living Doll" episode of The Twilight Zone in 1963.

After becoming involved with ASIFA/Hollywood in the mid-60’s, she created the Annie Awards in 1972. She served on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she lobbied tirelessly for the establishment of an Oscar for Animated Feature. (The Academy created the award in 2001.) She hosted countless parties for visiting animators, provided voices for student films, appeared at festivals and worked on the Olympiad of Animation (1984). An outspoken liberal, June helped to organize the meat boycott of 1973, which earned her a place on Richard Nixon’s Enemies List.

June won a Daytime Emmy (2012), the Television Academy’s Governors’ Award (2013), a star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard (2000), and Annie Awards in 1997 and 1998. In 1995, she received ASIFA/Hollywood’s Winsor McCay Award for Career Achievement--and the first June Foray Award—given for benevolent contributions to the art and industry of animation.

June Foray died on July 26, 2017, at the age of 99.